{"id":31839,"date":"2025-08-19T01:26:20","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T08:26:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=31839"},"modified":"2025-08-19T01:26:20","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T08:26:20","slug":"4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-august-19th-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=31839","title":{"rendered":"4K Ultra HD\/Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for August 19th, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at new arrivals on 4K Ultra HD,\nBlu-ray and DVD. Last week saw a number of releases appearing on store shelves.\nAnd as a result, this edition looks a little thinner. Still, there is one major\nnew feature and plenty of older ones with new upgrades. So, if you can\u2019t make\nit out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BIG NEW RELEASES!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

BRING HER BACK \u2013 A teenager and his younger, visually impaired stepsister experience tragedy when their father, the last living relative in their family, dies unexpectedly. The teen is almost 18 and wants to become his sibling\u2019s guardian, but is told that he can\u2019t take custody until he is a legal adult. In the meantime, the pair are placed in a foster home with an eccentric woman who has an excellent reputation. Unfortunately, the lead\u2019s relationship with the lady quickly sours, and she threatens to report him as an unfit caregiver. There also may be something else strange and unsettling occurring in the home. This horror film is from the Australian Philippou brothers (Talk to Me<\/em>) and was very well received by the press. A small number called the movie disheartening, disturbing, and so unpleasant it just left them aghast with its depictions of torment. However, all others were impressed by how horrifying the film was, calling it a brilliantly acted, jarring, and tense psychological chiller that wasn\u2019t easy to forget. It stars Billy Barratt, Sally Hawkins, Sora Wong and Jonah Wren Phillips. Read a full review of the movie here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

PERPETRATOR \u2013 In this horror feature, a teenager leaves her\nfather and goes to live with her aunt. She arrives at a new high school and is\nimmediately perceived as something of a troublemaker. Things get worse when the\nprotagonist learns that many women in the neighborhood have gone missing. The\nlonger the teen spends in this area, the more she learns about the mystery and\nthose who may have been involved. This picture debuted on Shudder in late 2023\nand is now receiving a Blu-ray release from Arrow Video. Overall, critics were\npositive about what they saw. Nearly one-quarter did state that this title\nignored too many storytelling rules, resulting in a jumbled narrative that\nlacked tension and suspense. However, the majority called the film an artistic,\nsingular, and unique coming-of-age story with a feminist twist that would\nimpress young genre enthusiasts. The cast includes Kiah McKirnan, Taylor\nKinkead, Christopher Lowell, Tim Hopper and Alicia Silverstone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

THE ROOSTER \u2013 A small town cop is called in to deal with an\nincident involving an old friend. He fails to follow police protocol and does\nnothing, only to find his buddy\u2019s body in a shallow grave afterward. Shocked,\nhe\u2019s asked questions by superiors, who presume the death must have been a\nsuicide. But the main character quietly throws himself into a deep\ninvestigation, encountering an oddball hermit who was the last person to see\nhis pal alive. This Australian mystery earned more upbeat write-ups than negative\nones. About one-third did complain that the film was too eccentric and its\ncharacters were exceedingly over-the-top, lessening the drama and effectiveness\nof the story. Regardless, more thought that the performances were excellent and\nthat the movie was far sharper than many gave it credit for. They felt that it\ncleverly dealt with issues like mental health and masculinity in a thoughtful\nand compelling manner. It features Phoenix Raei, Hugo Weaving, John Waters and\nRhys Mitchell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BLASTS FROM THE PAST!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While there aren\u2019t a ton of new releases this week, you can still pick up a number of older films on disc. Radiance Films is putting out the Shinobi Volume 2<\/em> Blu-ray box set. It contains three more Japanese films featuring the famous title character, a famous folk hero. The first set from last year offered a trilogy of titles starring Raizo Ichikawa. He returns for these titles, but the films involve a different version of the character and take place during a different era. You\u2019ll get Siege<\/em> (1964), The Return of Mist Saizo<\/em> (1964) and The Last Iga Spy<\/em> (1965). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This set features high-definition transfers of the films, which are being made available for the first time outside of Japan. Extras include an interview with a period film historian, a discussion with a ninja film scholar, select-scene commentary on the first title with a movie authority, and a trailer. You\u2019ll also get new and improved subtitles for the features, six postcards with images from the film, a reversible sleeve with artwork based on promotional materials, and a booklet with an analysis of the titles. This set is limited to 3000 copies. Click this link to read a full review.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you enjoy dark and depressing cinema, Through and Through<\/em> (1973) is likely a movie for you. Pictured above and to the right, it\u2019s a Polish effort about a Krakow-based couple in the 1930s failing to make ends meet. As they become more and more desperate, they end up taking part in a violent crime. The movie is noted for its striking cinematography and sound design, which heightens their grim lives. This Blu-ray boasts a 2K picture restoration supervised by the director of photography, and arrives with an interview about the movie with a film critic, as well as three short films made by the director in the years leading up to this production. This release is also limited to 3000 copies and comes with a booklet featuring writing on the movie, a reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned art. You can read a detailed review of the disc right here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Criterion Collection is presenting a Blu-ray set called Two\nFilms by Edward Yang<\/em> that contains A Confucian Confusion<\/em> (1994) and Majong<\/em>\n(1996). These are a pair of well-regarded Taiwanese satires about confused\nindividuals trying to make their way in a materialistic and amoral society. The\nfilms were given new 4K restorations for this release, and extras include an\nexcerpt of the director talking about the 1994 film, as well as a new interview\nwith the editor, discussion between film scholars, a performance of a 1992\nstage play from the director, as well as an essay on the movies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Shoeshine<\/em> (1946) is an Academy Award-winning Italian\nfeature from Vittorio De Sica (Umberto D., Bicycle Thieves<\/em>) that helped\ncement the neorealism film movement. It is arriving in a 4K Ultra HD and\nBlu-ray combo and also as a standalone Blu-ray. Set on the streets of Rome, two\nboys do everything they can to raise enough money to buy a horse, and in the\nprocess end up getting in the middle of a violent robbery. This image quality\nis newly restored in 4K, and the release contains a 2016 documentary on the\nfilm, a new program on the feature and children in Italian neorealism, as well\nas a radio broadcast from 1946 with De Sica and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dark Force Entertainment is an impressive distributor\nspecializing in obscure cult films. This week, you can pick up a Blu-ray of The\nBeast and the Vixens<\/em> (1974), a B-movie about a Bigfoot-like beast who\nterrorizes women in the woods (in addition to criminals and hippies). This\ntitle has only been available on VHS. The distributor has found a surviving\n35mm print and completed a new 2K scan of the material for its debut on disc.\nIt comes with a film historian commentary and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Golden Triangle<\/em> (1975) aka Jin San Jiao is a Hong\nKong\/Philippines martial arts\/action effort arriving on Blu-ray from the same\ndistributor. Specs haven\u2019t been listed for this title (other than it being a 2K\nimage restoration), but it sounds like it could be fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also purchase the period drive-in exploitation\neffort Ride a Wild Stud<\/em> (1969). It features a cowboy coming to the\nrescue of a group of women who have been taken by a nasty Civil War Confederate\nguerilla force. The distributor has located the only existing 35mm\ninternegative and has used the copy to present the film in HD for the first\ntime ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eureka Entertainment is presenting Martial Law: Lo Wei\u2019s\nWuxia World <\/em>on Blu-ray. It contains the action pictures The Black\nButterfly<\/em> (1968), Death Valley<\/em> (1968) and Vengeance of a Snowgirl<\/em>\n(1971). Those who pick up this effort will see high-definition transfers of the\nfilms, audio commentaries from Asian cinema experts on all the titles, a new\ninterview with a movie authority on director Lo Wei, as well as a booklet with\nwriting on the pictures and a slipcase with new art for the set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Film Masters is delivering The Amazing Mr. X<\/em> (1948)\non Blu-ray. It\u2019s about a spiritualist who may or may not be swindling a\ncustomer, saying that her dead husband is trying to contact her from beyond the\ngrave. The title is known for its beautiful photography and this disc delivers\na 4K restoration of the film from archival elements. It also comes with a film\nprofessor\/scholar commentary track, an original documentary on movies about\nspiritualism, and a booklet with an essay on the title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Patterns<\/em> (1956) is about a New York business\nexecutive, played by Van Heflin, who goes through some ethical turmoil after\nlearning that his kind and well-intentioned boss is going to be fired, only to\ntake over the position himself. The film is considered a take-down of the\ncutthroat corporate world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino is releasing a number of notable titles this week. The\nfirst is Coneheads<\/em> (1993), which can be purchased on 4K Ultra HD and\nBlu-ray or a Blu-ray only disc. This film adaptation of the Saturday Night\nLive<\/em> comedy sketch features a family of literal aliens trying to settle\ndown in America. It wasn\u2019t a big hit when it was originally released, but has\nbecome something of a cult item over the years. The film stars Dan Aykroyd,\nJane Curtin, Michelle Burke, Michael Richards, Eddie Griffin, Sinbad, Phil\nHartman, Adam Sandler, David Spade and Michael McKean. It boasts a 4K\nrestoration of the original camera negative presented in Dolby Vision, an audio\ncommentary with director Steve Barron, archival interviews with co-star Burke,\nmonster creator Phil Tippett, the vintage EPK, extended interviews with cast\nand crew and a ton of publicity material for the feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Gung Ho<\/em> (1986) is a comedy\/drama from Ron Howard (Willow,\nFar and Away, Apollo 18, A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man<\/em>) starring Micheal\nKeaton, Gedde Watanabe, George Wendt, Mimi Rogers and John Turturro. It follows\nthe workers of an American auto plant who must adapt when they are bought by a\nJapanese car company. The Blu-ray contains a 4K restoration from the original\ncamera negative from Paramount, a new film historian commentary, an interview\nwith co-star Watanabe, and a discussion with Wendt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happy Gilmore<\/em> (1996) is available as a 4K Ultra HD\nand Blu-ray combo. This Adam Sandler comedy is about a hockey player with a\nviolent temper who tries his luck as a professional golfer. This release\ncontains a 4K restoration of the original camera negative presented in Dolby\nVision (apparently, it looks strikingly good). The discs contain a film expert\ncommentary track, deleted scenes, outtakes and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Repossessed <\/em>(1990) is a slapstick take on The\nExorcist <\/em>starring Leslie Nielsen (of the original Naked Gun<\/em> series)\nas a priest trying to help a young woman (played by Linda Blair from the 1973\nhorror classic) who has been possessed by a satanic demon. This release\ncontains a new commentary track with the director, as well as a trailer. The\nfirst set of copies also come in a slipcase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Vengeance of Doctor Mabuse<\/em> (1972) is another\ntitle from Spanish B-movie filmmaker Jess Franco. It arrives on Blu-ray with a\nfilm historian commentary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any musical fans out there? Xanadu<\/em> (1980) is\nofficially arriving in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo pack or as a Blu-ray\nonly release. This notorious musical features Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly\nand Michael Beck in a loosely constructed story about a muse who is sent from\nthe heavens to inspire a struggling artist. She is not helping him create a\nbeautiful new creation, but instead pushing him to open a roller-disco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This outlandish film was a huge flop and the story makes\nabsolutely no sense, but the soundtrack is fantastic, featuring hits from\nNewton-John and E.L.O. like \u201cMagic,\u201d \u201cAll Over the World,\u201d and the title track.\nThe original camera negative has been given a 4K restoration and is presented\nin Dolby Vision for this release. There are also four new commentary tracks.\nOne features director Robert Greenwald and the other three are from movie\nhistorians. You\u2019ll also get a 1980 making-of, a 2009 retrospective documentary\non the film, 5 TV spots, 17 radio ads, and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Powerhouse Films is an import label that has begun making\ninroads in North America. All of their releases feature great transfers and\nplenty of bonus features. This week, you can pick up a 4K Ultra HD \u201cStandard\nEdition\u201d of the Jean Rollin vampire flick Lips of Blood<\/em> (1975), a 4K\nUltra HD \u201cStandard Edition\u201d of Rollin\u2019s The Night of the Hunted<\/em> (1980),\nand a Blu-ray of the British racing drama, The Rainbow Jacket<\/em> (1954).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Shout Factory is delivering Blaxploitation Classics\nVolume 2<\/em>, an impressive 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray containing six titles.\nYou\u2019ll receive Cotton Comes to Harlem<\/em> (1970), as well as Slaughter<\/em>\n(1972) and Slaughter\u2019s Big Rip-Off<\/em> (1973) with Jim Brown, Foxy Brown<\/em>\n(1974) and Friday Foster<\/em> (1975) starring Pam Grier, and Bucktown<\/em>\n(1975) with Fred Williamson. It\u2019s an excellent collection of movies that will\nentertain anyone who enjoys Blaxploitation features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These pictures have all received new 4K restorations from\nthe original camera negative and are presented in Dolby Vision. You\u2019ll also\nreceive an in-depth documentary on the genre featuring new and archival\ninterviews with moviemakers, authors and film historians. Additionally, there\nis a new discussion on these titles with filmmaker Johnathan Kaplan (who\ndirected The Slams<\/em> and Truck Turner<\/em>, as well as The Accused<\/em>\nand Unlawful Entry<\/em>). Foxy Brown<\/em> director Jack Hill also provides\na commentary for this movie. Sounds pretty phenomenal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you haven\u2019t picked it up yet, you can now purchase the\nextremely entertaining Drag Me to Hell<\/em> (2009) as a 4K Ultra HD and\nBlu-ray Walmart exclusive Steelbook. This effort from Sam Raimi (the original Evil\nDead<\/em> series, and Tobey Maguire Spider-Man<\/em> series) features a bank\nemployee who is cursed after refusing an old woman\u2019s request for an extension\non a loan. All of the extras from previous editions will be on this release,\nonly the packaging is different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Sony Pictures is delivering the award-winning Brazilian film\nThe House of Sand<\/em> (2005) on Blu-ray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In celebration of its 30th<\/sup> anniversary, Ang Lee\u2019s\nSense and Sensibility<\/em> (1995) with Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate\nWinslet and Hugh Grant is arriving from the studio as an 4K Ultra HD-only\nrelease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, the classic James Stewart comedy Harvey<\/em>\n(1950) is arriving in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo pack from Universal\nStudios. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Stewart plays a sweet,\neccentric man with a constant companion\u2026 a 6-foot-tall rabbit that only he can\nsee and communicate with. Family members attempt to have the protagonist\ncommitted to an asylum, leading to some unexpectedly funny moments and\ninteractions. This 75th<\/sup> anniversary edition will arrive with\npresumably improved picture quality. An archival introduction from Stewart, as\nwell as featurettes from this era at Universal and a theatrical trailer are\namong the listed bonus features.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sorry, no major kid-friendly titles are arriving this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ON THE TUBE!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below is a list of all the TV-related discs arriving on\nstore shelves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Boys<\/em>: Season 4 (Sony Pictures) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NCIS: Sydney<\/em>: Season 2 (CBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Last Anniversary<\/em> (AMC) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tales from the Void<\/em>: Season 1 (Cinedigm) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n